Japan women's national volleyball team

Japan women's national volleyball team
The Japan women's national volleyball team (Hinotori Nippon, 火の鳥NIPPON), or All-Japan women's volleyball team, is currently ranked 6th in the world by FIVB. The head coach is Masayoshi Manabe.
One of their greatest successes was at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, when they defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union on the way to the gold medal.
Japan was qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics by winning the Women's Olympic Qualifier that was held from 8 May to 16 May in Tokyo, Japan. In Athens, Greece the team took fifth place in the overall-rankings.
Finally after almost three decades of medal drought in the Olympics, Japan took home the bronze medal by defeating South Korea in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
History
2012 London Olympics
Japan qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics as the best Asian team in the 2012 FIVB Women's World Olympic Qualification Tournament. In the 2012 Olympics, Japan had been placed on Group A with Russian Federation, Italy, Dominican Republic, the host Great Britain and Algeria. Japan finished third in the Group. In the quarter-finals, Japan faced their old Asian rival China. Saori Kimura and Yukiko Ebata each scored 33 points in this thrilling game in which China were beaten by 3–2. It was their first win over China in 11 years as far as FIVB games are concerned. On 9 August 2012, the Japanese were outplayed by the defending champions Brazil in the semi-finals. On 11 August 2012, Japan beat South Korea 3–0 in the bronze medal match. It is the first Olympics' volleyball medal for the Japanese since the 1984 Summer Olympics. On August 13, 2012, Japan Women's Team was ranked 3rd in the world behind United States women's national volleyball team and Brazil women's national volleyball team.
2020 Tokyo Olympics
Japan was the host nation for the 2020 Summer Olympics. The other teams in their group in Tokyo were Kenya, Serbia, Brazil, Korea and the Dominican Republic. Japan's opening match was on 25 July 2021 in Tokyo against Kenya. They beat Kenya in their first match in straight sets and lost against Serbia, Brazil, Korea and the Dominican Republic which caused them to miss the qualification for the quarterfinals.
Winner of 6 major world titles
#, & – Twice 3 Straight Major titles in 1960s and 1970s
(World Women's Volleyball Championship, World Cup, Olympic Games)
Results
International
Olympic Games
1964 – Gold Medal
1968 – Silver Medal
1972 – Silver Medal
1976 – Gold Medal
1984 – Bronze Medal
1988 – 4th place
1992 – 5th place
1996 – 9th place
2004 – 8th place
2008 – 7th place
2012 – Bronze Medal
2016 – 8th place
2020 – 10th place
World Championship
1960 – Silver Medal
1962 – Gold Medal
1967 – Gold Medal
1970 – Silver Medal
1974 – Gold Medal
1978 – Silver Medal
1982 – 4th place
1986 – 7th place
1990 – 8th place
1994 – 7th place
1998 – 8th place
2002 – 13th place
2006 – 6th place
2010 – Bronze Medal
2014 – 7th place
2018 – 6th place
2022 – 5th place
World Cup
1973 – Silver Medal
1977 – Gold Medal
1981 – Silver Medal
1985 – 4th place
1989 – 4th place
1991 – 7th place
1995 – 6th place
1999 – 6th place
2003 – 5th place
2007 – 7th place
2011 – 4th place
2015 – 5th place
2019 – 5th place
2023 – 3rd place
World Grand Champions Cup
1993 – 4th place
1997 – 5th place
2001 – Bronze Medal
2005 – 5th place
2009 – 4th place
2013 – Bronze Medal
2017 – 5th place
FIVB World Grand Prix
1993 – 6th place
1994 – 4th place
1995 – 7th place
1996 – 8th place
1997 – 4th place
1998 – 7th place
1999 – 7th place
2000 – 8th place
2001 – 6th place
2002 – 5th place
2003 – 9th place
2004 – 9th place
2005 – 5th place
2006 – 6th place
2007 – 9th place
2008 – 6th place
2009 – 6th place
2010 – 5th place
2011 – 5th place
2012 – 9th place
2013 – 4th place
2014 – Silver Medal
2015 – 6th place
2016 – 9th place
2017 – 7th place
FIVB Nations League
2018 – 10th place
2019 – 9th place
2021 – 4th place
2022 – 7th place
2023 – 7th place
Montreux Volley Masters
1989 – Bronze Medal
2001 – Bronze Medal
2005 – 4th place
2009 – 7th place
2010 – 7th place
2011 – Gold Medal
2013 – 5th place
2014 – 6th place
2015 – Silver Medal
2019 – Silver Medal
Continental
Asian Games
1962 – Gold Medal
1966 – Gold Medal
1970 – Gold Medal
1974 – Gold Medal
1978 – Gold Medal
1982 – Silver Medal
1986 – Silver Medal
1990 – Bronze Medal
1994 – Bronze Medal
1998 – Bronze Medal
2002 – Bronze Medal
2006 – Silver Medal
2010 – 6th place
2014 – 4th place
2018 – 4th place
2022 – Silver Medal
Asian Championship
1975 – Gold Medal
1979 – Silver Medal
1983 – Gold Medal
1987 – Silver Medal
1989 – Bronze Medal
1991 – Silver Medal
1993 – Silver Medal
1995 – Bronze Medal
1997 – Bronze Medal
1999 – Bronze Medal
2001 – 4th place
2003 – Silver Medal
2005 – Bronze Medal
2007 – Gold Medal
2009 – Bronze Medal
2011 – Silver Medal
2013 – Silver Medal
2015 – 6th place
2017 – Gold Medal
2019 – Gold Medal
2021 – Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2023 – Bronze Medal
Asian Cup
2008 — 4th place
2010 — 4th place
2012 — 5th place
2014 — 4th place
2016 — 4th place
2018 — Silver Medal
2022 — Gold Medal
Team
Current squad
The following is the Japan roster in the 2023 Volleyball Nations League
Head coach: Masayoshi Manabe
Former squads
1994 squad:
Head coach: Tadayoshi Yokota
1996 Olympic Games — 9th place (tied)
Kaiyo Hoshini, Aki Nagatomi, Kazumi Nakamura, Chieko Nakanishi, Motoko Obayashi, Ikumi Ogake, Mika Saiki, Kiyomi Sakamoto, Asako Tajimi, Chiho Torii, Mika Yamauchi, and Tomoko Yoshihara. Head coach: Kuniaki Yoshida.
1999 FIVB World Cup — 6th place
Naomi Eto, Megumi Itabashi, Chikako Kumamae, Hitomi Mitsunaga, Junko Moriyama, Ikumi Ogake, Minako Onuki, Yuka Sakurai, Miki Sasaki, Hiromi Suzuki, Asako Tajimi, and Hiroko Tsukumo. Head coach: Nobushika Kuzuwa.
2002 World Championship — 14th place
Makiko Horai, Sachiko Kodama, Chikako Kumamae, Hisako Mukai, Kanako Naito, Minako Onuki, Ai Otomo, Kana Oyama, Yuko Sano, Sachiko Sugiyama, Miyuki Takahashi, and Shinako Tanaka. Head coach: Masahiro Yoshikawa.
2003 FIVB World Cup — 5th place
Tomoko Yoshihara, Chie Tsuji, Miki Sasaki, Kanako Omura, Yoshie Takeshita, Miyuki Takahashi, Makiko Horai, Yuko Sano, Sachiko Sugiyama, Saori Kimura, Kana Oyama, and Megumi Kurihara. Head coach: Shoichi Yanagimoto.
2004 Olympic Qualification Tournament — 1st place (qualified)
Tomoko Yoshihara, Chie Tsuji, Ikumi Narita, Miki Sasaki, Kanako Omura, Yoshie Takeshita, Miyuki Takahashi, Sachiko Sugiyama, Ai Otomo, Kana Oyama, Megumi Kurihara, and Saori Kimura. Head coach: Shoichi Yanagimoto.
2004 Olympic Games — 5th place (tied)
Tomoko Yoshihara, Chie Tsuji, Ikumi Narita, Miki Sasaki, Kanako Omura, Yoshie Takeshita, Miyuki Takahashi, Sachiko Sugiyama, Ai Otomo, Kana Oyama, Megumi Kurihara, and Saori Kimura. Head coach: Shoichi Yanagimoto.
2005 FIVB World Grand Prix — 5th place
Erika Araki, Makiko Horai, Megumi Itabashi, Ayako Onuma, Ai Otomo, Yuka Sakurai, Miki Shimada, Kaoru Sugayama, Sachiko Sugiyama, Yoshie Takeshita, Miyuki Takahashi, and Chie Yoshizawa. Head coach: Shoichi Yanagimoto.
2008 Olympic Qualification Tournament — 3rd place (qualified)
Erika Araki, Miyuki Kano, Yuki Kawai, Saori Kimura, Megumi Kurihara, Kanako Omura, Yuka Sakurai, Yuko Sano, Miyuki Takahashi, Sachiko Sugiyama, Yoshie Takeshita, and Asako Tajimi. Head coach: Shoichi Yanagimoto.
2008 Olympic Games — 5th place (tied)
Erika Araki, Miyuki Kano, Yuki Kawai, Saori Kimura, Megumi Kurihara, Kanako Omura, Yuka Sakurai, Yuko Sano, Miyuki Takahashi, Sachiko Sugiyama, Yoshie Takeshita, and Asako Tajimi. Head coach: Shoichi Yanagimoto.
2010 World Championship — 3rd place
Megumi Kurihara, Hitomi Nakamichi, Yoshie Takeshita, Kaori Inoue, Ai Yamamoto, Yuko Sano, Mai Yamaguchi, Mizuho Ishida, Erika Araki, Saori Kimura, Yukiko Ebata, Saori Sakoda, Akiko Ino, and Kanari Hamaguchi, Head coach: Masayoshi Manabe.
2012 Olympic Games — Bronze Medal
Erika Araki (c), Saori Kimura, Yoshie Takeshita, Yukiko Ebata, Kaori Inoue, Ai Otomo, Yuko Sano, Mai Yamaguchi, Risa Shinnabe, Saori Sakoda, Maiko Kano, and Hitomi Nakamichi, Head coach: Masayoshi Manabe.
2014 World Championship
Saori Kimura (c), Miyu Nagaoka, Hitomi Nakamichi, Arisa Takada, Arisa Satō, Mai Yamaguchi, Mizuho Ishida, Yuki Ishii, Risa Shinnabe, Yukiko Ebata, Saori Sakoda, Kana Ōno, Sayaka Tsutsui, and Haruka Miyashita, Head coach: Masayoshi Manabe.
2016 Olympic Games — 5th place
Saori Kimura (c), Miyu Nagaoka, Arisa Satō, Mai Yamaguchi, Yuki Ishii, Saori Sakoda, Haruka Miyashita, Kanami Tashiro, Erika Araki, Yurie Nabeya, Haruyo Shimamura and Kotoki Zayasu, Head coach: Masayoshi Manabe.
2018 World Championship — 6th Place
Nana Iwasaka (c), Koyomi Tominaga, Kanami Tashiro, Erika Araki, Mai Okumura, Haruyo Shimamura, Risa Shinnabe, Yuki Ishii, Sarina Koga, Ai Kurogo, Mami Uchiseto, Miyu Nagaoka, Kotoe Inoue, Mako Kobata, Head coach: Kumi Nakada.
2020 Summer Olympics — 10th Place
Erika Araki (c), Ai Kurogo, Sarina Koga, Mai Okumura, Haruyo Shimamura, Yuki Ishii, Mayu Ishikawa, Kanami Tashiro, Mako Kobata, Nichika Yamada, Kotona Hayashi and Aki Momii, Head coach: Kumi Nakada
Coaches history
Tadayoshi Yokota
Kuniaki Yoshida
Nobushika Kuzuwa
Masahiro Yoshikawa
Shoichi Yanagimoto (2003–2008)
Masayoshi Manabe (2008–2016; 2021–present)
Kumi Nakada (2016–2021)
Gallery
See also
Japan women's national under-23 volleyball team
Japan women's national under-20 volleyball team
Japan women's national under-18 volleyball team
Attack No. 1
Japan men's national volleyball team
References
External links
2020 roster
FIVB profile
Video of the moments of victory and of awarding gold medal in 1964 Tokyo Olympics
Volleyball women
Volleyball in Japan
National women's volleyball teams
World champion national volleyball teams